Riku Miura

Riku Miura is a Japanese pair skater. With her skating partner, Ryuichi Kihara, she is the 2023 and 2025 World champion, two-time World silver medalist, a two-time Four Continents champion, a two-time Grand Prix Final champion, an eight-time [ISU 2023-24 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating|Grand Prix of Figure Skating|ISU Grand Prix] medalist, three-time ISU Challenger Series medalist, and two-time Japanese national champions. They also are silver medalists in the [Figure skating at the 2022 World Figure Skating Championships|2022 Winter Olympics – Team event|team event] at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
With her former skating partner, Shoya Ichihashi, she competed in the final segment at three World Junior Championships.

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Personal life

Miura was born on December 17, 2001, in Takarazuka, Hyōgo. She enjoys doing karate in her spare time. Her figure skating idol is Sui Wenjing.
She currently studies at Chukyo University's School of Sport Science.

Career

Early career and partnership with Ichihashi

Miura began figure skating in 2011 and was a singles skater until the age of twelve when she decided to try pair skating after meeting Canadian pair skating coach, Bruno Marcotte, at a training seminar he was holding in Japan.
Miura first teamed up with Shoya Ichihashi in 2015. The pair was coached by Takeshi Honda in Japan while also traveling to Canada two to three weeks at a time to work with Marcotte. Miura/Ichihashi would go on to compete at four ISU Championships. This included a tenth-place finish at the [2018 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships|Four Continents Figure Skating Championships|2018 Four Continents Championships] and at the 2018 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Their partnership dissolved following the 2018–19 figure skating season.

Partnership with Kihara

2019–20 season: Debut

Upon learning that two-time Olympian pair skater, Ryuichi Kihara's, partnership with Miu Suzaki had dissolved, Bruno Marcotte contacted Kihara, who he already knew due to Kihara having previously taking part in some of his training camps, to set up a tryout between him and Miura. Two weeks following a successful tryout, the pair moved to Oakville, Ontario so they could train at the Oakville Skating Club fulltime under Marcotte, Meagan Duhamel, and Brian Shales.
Miura/Kihara made their international competitive debut at 2019 NHK Trophy, where they finished fifth. They were the only pair competing at the 2019–20 Japan Championships and had two falls in the short program. The free skate proved more successful, allowing them to claim the Japanese national title and assignments to the ISU championships in the second half of the season.
After an eighth-place finish at the 2020 Four Continents Championships, Miura/Kihara were assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but the event was cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

2020–21 season

Miura/Kihara were assigned to compete at the 2020 Skate Canada International, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. Making their season debut at the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, they placed tenth. They finished the season at the 2021 World Team Trophy, where they finished third in both segments, helping Team Japan to the bronze medal.

2021–22 season: Beijing Olympics and World silver

Miura/Kihara spent the period after the World Team Trophy training in Japan and the United States before returning to Canada in September upon the reopening of the borders. They began their season at the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International, where they won both segments of competition and set new personal bests to take the gold medal overall.
At their first Grand Prix assignment of the season, the 2021 Skate America, Miura/Kihara again scored new personal bests in both segments of competition, as well as overall. Despite placing third in both the short program and the free skate, due to shifting ordinals from their competitors, the team won the silver medal between Russian competitors Tarasova/Morozov in first and Boikova/Kozlovskii in third. Their medal marks the first medal for Japan in the pairs event on the Grand Prix circuit since 2011. Competing at the 2021 NHK Trophy at home for their second event, they were third in both programs to take the bronze medal. They finished less than four points behind silver medalists Tarasova/Morozov, a gap more than accounted for by jump and throw errors by Miura. She noted training issues and expressed dissatisfaction that she had been unable to fix the problem but that they were nevertheless satisfied to have achieved their goal of winning a medal. Miura/Kihara's results qualified them to the Grand Prix Final, but it was subsequently cancelled due to restrictions prompted by the Omicron variant.
Due to the Omicron variant, Miura/Kihara did not travel to Japan to participate in the 2021–22 Japan Championships but were instead named directly to the Japanese Olympic team. They began the 2022 Winter Olympics as the Japanese entries in the Olympic team event. They placed fourth in the short program, securing seven points for the Japanese team. They placed second in the free skate, securing nine points for the Japanese team, which went on to win the silver medal. This was the first time that Japan had taken a medal in the team event, and Miura/Kihara's presence as a strong pair team was widely cited as the biggest factor in Japan's increased competitiveness. In the pairs event, Miura doubled her triple jump attempt in the short program, as a result of which they placed eighth in the segment. In the free skate, they finished fifth in the segment, rising to seventh place overall.
Days after the Olympics concluded, Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine, as a result of which the International Skating Union banned all Russian and Belarusian skaters from competing at the 2022 World Championships. As well, the Chinese Skating Association opted not to send athletes to compete in Montpellier. As those countries' athletes comprised the entirety of the top five pairs at the Olympics, this hugely impacted the field, and Miura/Kihara entered as medal favourites. In the short program, Miura put a hand down after stepping out on their throw triple Lutz, but they finished third in the segment, taking a bronze small medal. They had a rough free skate, with errors on both jumping passes and Miura falling on a throw triple loop. They also finished third in that segment but took the silver medal overall. They became the second Japanese pair team to win a World medal. Miura opined afterward, "now we secure the medal, but I don't think our performance was worth winning a medal today. We regret our performance today, so next season I want to push ourselves hard and to the very end, and we want to practice hard." Their coach, Bruno Marcotte, countered that "I told them to look at their silver medals and think: 'This is the result of all the work you did, all the competitions, the year and a half that you had to stay in Canada, away from your families, because of COVID-19. These medals represent all of that.'"

2022–23 season: World, Grand Prix Final, and Four Continents champions

In July, Miura injured her left shoulder while skating in a Japanese ice show during the off-season, which kept the pair from significant training until September. Despite this, Miura/Kihara managed to win gold at their first Grand Prix event, the 2022 Skate Canada International, becoming the first Japanese pair team ever to do so. Their free skate program earned praise from Sleeping at Last, the artist of the program's music. Weeks later, they competed at their second assignment, the 2022 NHK Trophy in Sapporo, winning the short program with a new personal best score, nearly 14 points clear of Americans Chan/Howe in second. They won the free skate by a wide margin, with only two minor errors, winning their second Grand Prix gold and becoming the first Japanese team to win Japan's home Grand Prix event. These results qualified them for the Grand Prix Final.
Miura/Kihara entered the Final in Turin as the top-seeded team and won the short program over American reigning World champions Knierim/Frazier by a 0.43 point margin, with the latter team having a jump error. They won the free skate by a similarly narrow 0.87 point margin after Miura doubled an intended triple toe loop and Kihara put his hand down on their triple Salchow. Kihara lamented the latter mistake, saying it was "the first time in eight years" that he had done so. He added that "we were saved by the power of the audience." They were the first Japanese pair to both medal at and win the Grand Prix Final.
Miura/Kihara were next scheduled to compete at the 2022–23 Japan Championships, but their travel from Canada to Japan was disrupted by the onset of a major winter storm, which resulted in their luggage being lost. Because of their lost skates, they were unable to compete at the championship, though the federation said they would still be considered for international assignments in the second half of the season.
With principal rivals Knierim/Frazier not attending the 2023 Four Continents Championships in favour of Art on Ice shows, Miura/Kihara entered the event as heavy favourites for the gold medal. Miura fell on a downgraded triple toe jump attempt in the short program, but the team still won that segment by a margin of 2.80 points over Canadians Stellato/Deschamps. Miura attributed the mistake to nervousness, but said she was pleased that even with the error they had scored over 70 points. Miura/Kihara won the free skate as well, albeit narrowly over Chan/Howe, with some jump errors and Kihara visibly struggling with low oxygen levels due to the high mountain location in Colorado Springs. They won the gold medal, another first for a Japanese pair.
The 2023 World Championships were held on home ice in Saitama, with Miura/Kihara enters as one of the title favourites. They won the short program by a wide margin over Knierim/Frazier, clearing the 80-point threshold for the first time in their careers, which Miura described as "our goal for this season" afterward. They finished second in the free skate, Miura having doubled a planned triple jump and fallen on a throw, but remained comfortably in first place overall and took the gold medal. Miura/Kihara became the first Japanese World pairs champions, as well as the first team to complete the "grand slam" in pairs in almost a decade.
Miura/Kihara joined Team Japan for the 2023 World Team Trophy in Tokyo. They finished second in the short program after Miura had a difficult jump landing. In the free skate, Miura doubled her planned triple jump, and they finished second in that segment as well. Team Japan won the bronze medal overall.

2023–24 season: Injury and World silver

Miura/Kihara started the year at the 2023 CS Autumn Classic International, winning the silver medal. However, Kihara began suffering from back pain in August, and he was soon diagnosed with lumbar spondylosis. As a result, the team withdrew from their assignments on the Grand Prix, and subsequently from the 2023–24 Japan Championships.
In December, the team decided to resume training with the goal of making the 2024 Four Continents Championships in Shanghai. They finished second in the short program after Miura doubled her jump and two-footed her throw landing, but having scored 65.61 points, Kihara said they had achieved their own target of hitting 65 points. Miura/Kihara were second in the free skate as well, despite another doubled jump and several other minor errors. They won the silver medal.
At the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, Miura/Kihara had minor errors on their throw and side-by-side jumps that saw them place second in that segment with a score of 73.53, 3.95 points behind leaders Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps of Canada. In the free dance, Miura slightly underrotated a triple toe loop and doubled her planned side-by-side triple Salchow, but they were otherwise clean and finished first in the segment, 0.27 points ahead of Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps. Remaining second overall, they won the silver medal. Shortly following their performance, Kihara began hyperventilating and suffering from a sudden decrease in blood sugar. As a result, Miura/Kihara missed the initial medal ceremony due to Kihara requiring immediate medical attention. After the competition, Kihara was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma and eventually prescribed medication for the condition.
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, a medal ceremony was held for Miura/Kihara and their teammates from the 2022 Olympic Figure Skating Team Event, where they were awarded their Olympic silver medals.

2024–25 season: World and Four Continents champions

Miura/Kihara started the season by competing at the 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy. The pair placed second in the short program. However, during their free skate, Kihara slipped while dismounting Miura from a lift, causing him to fall on his back with Miura landing on top of him. The pair placed third in that segment of the competition and finished second overall behind Italian pair team, Conti/Macii.
Going on to compete on the 2024–25 Grand Prix series, the pair took gold at 2024 Skate America. “We are back to the Grand Prix after two years,” said Kihara, who was recently diagnosed with asthma. “We are very happy to be back and also it's been a while since we won a competition, so we are very happy also about that! Our goal for this season is to get through the season without serious illness and injuries.”
They would then go on to win silver at the 2024 NHK Trophy behind Georgian pair team, Metelkina/Berulava. After the event, Miura said they were happy out their free program as it earned one point more than at 2024 Skate America. During the event's gala exhibition, all members of the 2022 Olympic Team Event, including Miura/Kihara, were invited to center stage, wearing their Olympic costumes and Olympic medals, in celebration of their achievement.
Miura/Kihara's Grand Prix results allowed them to qualify for the 2024–25 Grand Prix Final in Grenoble, France. At the Final, Miura/Kihara won the silver medal behind Hase/Volodin of Germany. Two weeks following the event, they won their second national title at the 2024–25 Japan Championships. “It's been two years since we participated in the Final, so we’ve made some mistakes today,” said Kihara after the free skate. “It wasn't good, but we were able to get 130 points, so I think that's good. But we will learn from it and improve ourselves to aim for the Olympics.”
At the 2025 Four Continents Championships in Seoul, South Korea, Miura/Kihara won the short program with a clean skate. They went on to win the free skate as well, despite Miura struggling on both throw landings and singling an Axel jump, and won their second event title. Miura said afterward that "we did not show our absolute best today, but we got our season best score."
Going on to compete at the 2025 World Championships in Boston, Massachusetts, United States the following month, Miura/Kihara skated a solid short program, winning the segment, less than two points ahead of the team in second place, Conti/Macii. The pair went on to place second in the free skate segment behind Hase/Volodin due to Miura two-footing both pair throw landings, however their short program lead was enough to keep Miura/Kihara in first place overall, thus winning their second World title. In an interview following the event, Miura shared, "There were small mistakes, but I’m very happy to be here and of course to win the second world title. The first title two years ago was just happiness, but in the last two years, we had very hard times, we had injury problems, we went through many emotions, and we also have many emotions right now. But still, in the end, we are still very happy."
Selected to compete for Team Japan at the 2025 World Team Trophy, Miura/Kihara won all segments of the pair's event, scoring personal bests in the process and aiding Team Japan in finishing second overall. “We had a very hard season, especially in the first half, but because of that experience, we want to enjoy our Olympic year," said Kihara at the event. "We are kind of thankful for the hard experience we went through.”

2025–26 season

Miura/Kihara opened the season with a win at an ISU Challenger Series at 2025 CS Kinoshita Group Cup in September. They took the silver at 2025 CS Nebelhorn Trophy a few weeks later. Together they won their fourth ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating gold at 2025 Grand Prix de France. "In our last competition, we had two mistakes in the second half of the program, and today we were able to land those two elements cleanly," Miura said after the free skate.
The following month, Miura/Kihara won their second consecutive Skate America title at 2025 Skate America, qualifying for the 2025-26 Grand Prix Final. The team place second in the short program and first in the free skate. “We did end up making a small mistake, but I’m still very proud of ourselves for achieving scores in the 140s," said Miura after the free skate. "I think that is going to make way for more confidence in future competitions."
Miura/Kihara competed at the 2025–26 Grand Prix Final the following month, placing first in the short program. They finished second in the free skate with a new personal best score behind Germany's Hase and Volodin but won the event overall to take their second Grand Prix Final title. Miura said that she was happy to have won in her home country and added, "I couldn’t have finished the competition without the warm cheers of the audience. I’m grateful to everyone who always supports us." Two weeks later, they went on to compete at the 2025–26 Japan Championships. During the short program warm-up, Miura dislocated her shoulder. In spite of this, the pair went on to complete their short program, winning that segment of the competition but withdrawing before the free skate to focus on Miura's recovery. Following the event, Miura/Kihara were officially named to the 2026 Winter Olympic team.

Programs

Pair skating with Ryuichi Kihara

Season	Short program	Free skating	Exhibition
2025–2026	Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones performed by Wednesday Addams & Sebastian Böhm choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne	Strength and Honor by Harry Gregson-Williams Nelle tue mani by Lisa Gerrard & Hans Zimmer performed by Andrea Bocelli choreo. by Marie-France Dubreuil	Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
2024–2025	Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones performed by Wednesday Addams & Sebastian Böhm choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne	Adiós by Benjamin Clementine choreo. by Marie-France Dubreuil	Can't Stop the Feeling! by Justin Timberlake
2023–2024	Dare You to Move by Switchfoot performed by Vitamin String Quartet arranged by Karl Hugo choreo. by Julie Marcotte ---- I Put a Spell on You by Screamin' Jay Hawkins & Herb Slotkin performed by Kandace Springs choreo. by Julie Marcotte	Woman by Shawn Phillips choreo. by Julie Marcotte ---- Une chance qu'on s'a by Celine Dion & Jean-Pierre Ferland Amour infini by Karl Hugo choreo. by Julie Marcotte	You'll Never Walk Alone by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II performed by Marcus Mumford & Elvis Presley choreo. by Julie Marcotte
2022–2023	You'll Never Walk Alone by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II performed by Marcus Mumford & Elvis Presley choreo. by Julie Marcotte	Atlas: Two by Sleeping at Last choreo. by Julie Marcotte	Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen performed by k.d. lang choreo. by Julie Marcotte ---- I Lived by OneRepublic
2021–2022	Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen performed by k.d. lang choreo. by Julie Marcotte	Woman by Shawn Phillips choreo. by Julie Marcotte	I Lived by OneRepublic
2020–2021	Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen performed by k.d. lang choreo. by Julie Marcotte	Woman by Shawn Phillips choreo. by Julie Marcotte	Million Reasons by Lady Gaga
2019–2020	Nocturnal Animals by Abel Korzeniowski choreo. by Allie Hann-McCurdy	Fix You by Coldplay choreo. by Valérie Saurette	Million Reasons by Lady Gaga